A total of 260 cartons of duty-free cigarettes were seized by the Cyprus Customs Department in two separate incidents on September 9, 2026.
In the first case, Customs officers conducting routine checks under the Green Line Regulation at the Deryneia Crossing stopped a vehicle with Turkish Cypriot registration plates driven by a Turkish Cypriot holding a British passport.
A search of the vehicle uncovered three travel bags containing 127 cartons, with 200 cigarettes in each carton.
The tobacco products did not carry the required health warning in Greek and Turkish, the security feature or the unique traceability code, indicating that they were duty-free.
The tobacco products were seized and will undergo the prescribed destruction procedure.
The individual was initially arrested for offences committed in flagrante delicto. He was later released after his proposal for an out-of-court settlement was accepted, with a total payment of €8,000.
Further tobacco products seized in Larnaca
Also on September 9, Customs officers, working with the Larnaca Police Force’s Crime Prevention Unit (OPΕ), searched, under a court warrant, the home of a 69-year-old Greek Cypriot in the Larnaca district.
The search resulted in the seizure of additional tobacco products that did not carry the required health warnings in Greek and Turkish, the security feature or the unique traceability code.
The seized products included:
- 113 cartons of 200 cigarettes each, of various brands
- 18 cartons of 200 heated tobacco products each
- Two cartons containing 200 small cigars each
- Various brands of rolling tobacco weighing a total of 4.45 kilograms
The individual was arrested for offences committed in flagrante delicto under customs legislation.
The case is being investigated further by the Larnaca Customs Department.
Also read: Ayia Napa: Two arrested after attempting to pay with fake €200 notes
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